Baker Center Partners with City of Knoxville on Student Fellows Program

Students with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy now have the opportunity to become fellows and work directly in a variety of departments or agencies with the City of Knoxville.

The City and Baker Center have an official agreement for the center’s students to work as fellows within city government in areas of interest to the student, giving the student valuable work experience and providing public service to the City of Knoxville.

“This partnership between the Baker Center and the City of Knoxville is providing meaningful opportunities for our students to get real-world, hands-on experience that will prepare them for a career in public service,” University of Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman said. “Programs like these exemplify the education we offer our students—one grounded in academic excellence, experiential learning, and service and leadership. I am grateful to Dr. Wanamaker and Mayor Kincannon for recognizing the potential this partnership had to benefit both the city and our students.”

There are currently four Baker Center students working among the city ranks, working with the chief operating officer, Communications, Community Empowerment and the Office of Sustainability. The students receive a stipend for their work, making them “fellows.”

“This is a win-win partnership,” Mayor Indya Kincannon said. “The city benefits from the energy, talent, fresh ideas and new perspectives of the Baker Center Fellows. The students gain tangible real-world problem-solving experience, plus a paycheck for their hard work. It will be exciting to watch as the Baker Center Fellows program matures, and its students go on to become future leaders in public policy and public service.”

“The Baker Center is committed to providing UT students with opportunities in the public sector to enrich their university experiences and jump start their careers. I want to thank our director of policy partnerships, Bill Lyons, for bringing this together, and I appreciate Mayor Kincannon’s openness to providing these experiences for our students,” Baker Center Executive Director Marianne Wanamaker said.